


Realize

by Mathemagician37



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-26
Updated: 2014-08-26
Packaged: 2018-02-14 21:23:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2203569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mathemagician37/pseuds/Mathemagician37
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I wrote this a few months ago. It's post 3x14 and what I think that should have happened after Regina finding out about Walsh. I hope you'll enjoy :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Realize

"Henry told me."

Regina and Emma were standing in a vacant parking lot. They had just returned from the farm, and discovered - much to Regina's pleasure - that Rumpelstiltskin was in fact still alive. Hook and David had already gone inside the apartment building to the apartment that belonged to Mary-Margaret and David, but Emma had sensed Regina wanted to talk about something, so she had stayed by the car, sending the two men back inside. They were only two feet apart, and the tension was building up slowly, but tangibly.

"What did he tell you?" Deep down Emma knew what the former Mayor was talking about, but she wanted to verify anyway. She wanted Regina to say what bothered her out loud; to make it real. The two of them were never really good at verbal communication, so the blonde needed her to clarify what Henry had and hadn't told the woman in front of her.

"That you were going to marry a man." Regina breathed, staring into green eyes as she tried to mutter the name of the man that had occupied her mind the last few hours. " _Walsh."_ She didn't mean to make it sound so distasteful; she didn't want to hurt the blonde, but only thinking about what could have happened if a certain pirate hadn't given her a memory potion.. She internally cringed at the sole thought of Emma Swan being married to some random man she'd picked up in a bar; or wherever she had met the man.

She could only imagine what kind of thug this  _Walsh_  had been. She knew that Emma's love interests had mostly been thieves and pirates; men incapable of giving her a happy ending. Regina had figured out that the woman didn't grant herself to be happy; and that it was the reason of her poor choices of objects of affection.

"Oh." Emma averted her eyes and bit her lip; her hands were tucked in her pockets and she shifted her weight awkwardly from leg to leg. She had known Henry's other mother would find out sooner or later, but she hadn't thought of any response yet. She looked up, meeting brown eyes again and saw the other woman wasn't going to bully her about it. She wasn't judging her. No, the emotion she read into Regina's eyes was a whole different one: sadness, or disappointment even.

"Were you really going to marry him?" Regina continued, her voice clearly frangible. She tried to mask her feelings like she usually did, but somehow she couldn't. "Why did you come back?"

"Regina." Emma said softly as she took a step closer to the brunette; putting the two of them almost toe-to-toe. "He was a mistake. A big one." Regina arched an eyebrow, clearly not convinced yet. "He turned out to be a flying monkey." She elaborated. Emma didn't really want to give her mother's former nemesis this kind of information; this kind of leverage, but apparently it bothered the woman that she had left New York, and with that an almost fiancé.

Emma expected Regina to laugh at this freshly discovered fact from the life of Emma Swan, but she didn't. "How long?" She asked her instead, and the tone of her voice resounded sincerity.

"How long what?" Emma replied with another question, slightly taken aback by the different-from-what-she-had-expected reaction. "Oh. Eight months."

"The Wicked Witch of the West sent him. So it's safe to say that you were never safe." Regina stated, not knowing that she quoted what the blonde had said only days prior. "But I assume you drew that conclusion yourself already."

Emma nodded in response, still visibly surprised. "You aren't making fun of me?" Her voice was dripping with incredulity. "No 'Emma dated a Monkey' jokes?"

"I presumed the pirate had made enough of those." Regina smiled faintly. "I bet he went all bananas on you?" Her smile turned into a grin and Emma chuckled painfully.

"He did, actually. Every single one of them." Emma said as she tried to cover up how she felt about it. Her gaze dropped down to her feet and she started biting her lip again. "He said that he was glad that my heart was broken, because at least that meant I still had a heart." She said it before she even realized what she had said.  _Childish._  She sulked to herself.

"I'm not surprised." The former Mayor responded bitterly. "Each of his moves is done with the tact of an elephant in a china shop."

"You really hate him, don't you?" Emma internally smiled at Regina being disapproving of the pirate. She had never been enthusiastic about the men that flirted with her; or - to speak with Regina's words - the men that were pining for her.

"I simply think that someone who appreciates your heart getting broken, rather than asking you how you're feeling about it, is hardly a candidate to become a valid suitor." The brunette spoke softly. "Neither is a thief that lets you take responsibility for his crimes, nor a flying monkey who subsequently appeared to have other intentions than making you happy."

Both women didn't speak for several minutes. Regina, because she wondered if she went too far; Emma, because she needed some time to let the words the brunette had spoken sink in. She had always fallen for the bad boys; the guys that treated her badly. She had always thought she wasn't worth any better. This was what she deserved. But was it really?

Since Neal had left her without even looking back at her, practically obliging her to give birth in jail, and put up the product, Henry, for adoption, she had always had trouble trusting people; committing to people. When she was in foster care, she switched homes every so often, that she could not commit to the families. Besides, when she hit puberty, some of her foster fathers laid their hands on her; either in an inappropriate way or not.

"Why do you care?" Emma tried to sound as less accusatory as possible. When she thought about it, the former Evil Queen had acted what Emma would call jealous towards both Neal and Hook before.

"I want what's best for Henry." Regina simply stated, although she knew the blonde wouldn't buy it.

"I told you that I always know when you're lying." Emma smiled.

"But I do!" The indignation was clearly audible in her voice; and the hurt was visible on her face.

"Of course. It's just not the reason for this." Emma's eyes latched onto Regina's brown ones, piercing right into her soul. The brunette had a sultry feeling in her chest. She wanted to walk away from this conversation, but something was holding her back. A certain tension pulled her right into the blonde's personal space, making it impossible for her to walk away.

"I hardly have any idea what else it could be." She uttered, although it wasn't convincing enough for Emma.

"Okay." The blonde knew there was more to this matter, but she didn't want to put up a fight. Not when they were doing so well. Not when they would need each other in a battle against the Wicked Witch of the West.

"Okay." Regina sighed deeply, trying to steady her panicky breathing again. She had lost control for a second and she couldn't let that happen again. How could this woman break through her walls like no one had done in a very long time? She saw right through her, and she had to admit to herself that it scared her. "Are you?"

"Okay?" Emma needed a moment to consider it. "I'm still breathing." Once more, a silence consumed their presence. Emma thought of the last year and how it had been a happy one. For a year she had believed she hadn't given up on Henry. For a year she had had a taste of what it was like to raise a son; his first words, his first steps.. The whole package.

Regina had given her a possibility of a happy ending, and with that given up everything she had: Henry.  _Her_  possibility of a happy ending. It hadn't dawned on her before, but when she thought of it, Regina had probably given Emma her own memories of Henry's childhood. When she drunk the memory potion, she had found out everything that she remembered of the last ten years had been a lie. But it wasn't. Those were just not her memories.

Even when she had found out that the last ten years had been as different of Emma's real life as it could be, Regina still had given her an opportunity to 'experience' Henry's childhood. To be there when he started babbling, or when he rolled over for the first time. When he fell from his bike and scraped his knee; his pants ripped. He came home crying. For a year she had believed that she was the person that soothed him, comforted him, but also grounded him when he had been bad.

She had been his mom. In her mind she had been there when it all happened. And the person in front of her was the person who gave her these memories. Her heart bulged in her chest as she realized what this woman meant to her; what she had done for her. Tears welled up in her eyes as she realized that this woman, who was supposed to be a villain, had given her what nobody could ever give her; a chance of a happy ending.

"Thank you." Emma whispered, her voice hoarse with emotion. When Regina's eyes latched onto hers, she saw nothing but confusion in those brown orbs. "For giving me last year." She added quickly.

Regina smiled faintly at that. "He appeared to be happy." She choked out. Her eyes were filled with tears and threatened to spill, but the ever so in control Regina Mills didn't let them. "What if he'll never remember me?" Those words cut right through Emma's soul and scattered her heart even more than it already was. Her hand reached out and took the brunette's, softly brushing the back with her thumb.

"He will. I will find a way. We will find a way." Emma said reassuringly. "I'm the savior." She squeezed the other woman's hand, which felt surprisingly comfortable in her own hand. She knew how the former Mayor felt about Henry, and it ached her that she couldn't do anything to change it yet; to make it better. She never cared as much about the feelings of other people as much as she cared about Henry, but Regina was a close second.

Somehow she found herself believing the woman, trusting her. She found herself in situations where she was the Queen's savior, and the other woman - never eager to have assistance - let her. They understood each other's pain. There was an unspoken understanding between the two of them that they didn't have with others. They were drawn to each other like magnets, but if one of them turned around; changed their mind, they'd also repel like magnets do.

Regina had changed for the better, with the help of Emma. When Emma came to Storybrooke, she had considered the woman her undoing. The person who was going to destroy her relationship with Henry; her True Love. She had believed it for a very long time, but when they were at the town line, waiting for the ending of Storybrooke, sending them back to Fairy Tale Land again, she had realized Emma was the reason that Henry finally loved her.

"Thank you, too." Regina finally breathed, her eyes never leaving green ones. Green eyes that radiated surprise at the three words.

"For what?" She asked astonished.

"Everything." The lump in her throat caused it to be nothing more but a silent whisper. Regina was positively sure that Emma wasn't able to hear it, but the reaction she received made her think otherwise.

Emma's heart fluttered in her chest and her breath stopped short. She opened her mouth to say something; anything, but her brain faltered at phrasing what she wanted to express. She was hardly able to fathom what she felt at that moment herself. She had never felt it before, but she knew it was a good feeling. She knew it was a feeling she never wanted to lose again. She found herself leaning closer to Regina; some unknown force pulling them together.

"Mom?" Henry's voice came from the other side of the parking lot and the tension between the two women popped like a bubble. They were drawn back into reality in a fraction of a second, and Emma silently cursed their son for interrupting their moment. She sighed deeply.

"Yeah?" She called back, her heart still pounding in her chest. Neither of the two women had moved, both still paralyzed by something they both hadn't felt in years.

"I was wondering where you were. The others are back for ages now." He explained his presence as his eyes scanned the two women from a distance. His face melted in a crooked smile at seeing his mother's face turning into several shades of red. "Why are you  _talking_  to the Mayor?"

"We had private business to discuss." Regina replied the elsewhere addressed question, figuring the blonde couldn't come up with a more valid answer in this state of mind. She turned back to Emma again, shaking the hand she was still holding. "We'll pursue this  _conversation_  tomorrow, miss Swan."

"Okay. Well, I'll see you tomorrow, then, Madam Mayor." Emma said, finally gaining back awareness of the situation. The brunette squeezed Emma's hand one last time before letting go of it. She walked back to the car, and as she did, Emma's eyes roamed every inch of Regina's body; from the rocking of her hips to the sweeping of her hair.

When the woman had finally driven away, Henry joined the blonde with a grin. "Do you want to say goodbye before we leave for the hotel?"

* * *

**An undefined amount of time later**

Emma locked the door of their hotel room after she closed it behind her back. She turned around and looked in the eyes of her smugly grinning son. "What?" She snapped.

"A job?" Henry asked, trying to look as innocently as possible.

"What about it?" Emma could play this game, if he was going to play it like this.

"You were holding her hand!" He exclaimed, his smile still evidently on his face. "I knew it was strange that the Mayor wanted to show me this town and buy me ice cream."

"Hey, stop it." Emma was getting frustrated with her son. She didn't even know what it was between her and the brunette. The tension, and the feelings. She needed time to interpret them; to figure out how she felt about the other woman and if it was a clever move to act on those feelings. For all she knew, it might never work out the way she wanted to, but only make things worse.

"The way you look at her.." He continued like his mother had never said anything about stopping at all. "You've never looked at anyone like that."

"Like what?" Emma replied, confused as to how obvious it seemed to be to the boy.

"Like you wanted to devour her right on the spot!" He said grinning, quickly ducking away to avoid getting smacked by his mother. "But seriously, mom.. You look like you're in love."

"Did you like her?" Emma was wondering for a few hours now, and she needed his attention to get elsewhere occupied. She also knew he wasn't going to drop this subject entirely, so the only way to make it less awkward for Emma was to ask him about their afternoon together.

"Yeah. She took me for ice cream and we walked through the park, talked a little bit.. You know." He said. "She's nice. And I think she understands me."

"You two really bonded, didn't you?" Emma teased, but smiling widely anyway. He nodded slowly, but his mind was busy wondering about things, Emma guessed. "What's up, kid?"

"You're hiding something from me." His voice changed into a serious tone this time. "There's more to this than you're telling me. You took this job to get away from Walsh, didn't you? Why? What happened?"

"Henry.. That's something between adults." Emma didn't want to lie, but she couldn't tell him that he had been one of the Wicked Witch of the West's minions either. "He's just not the one, okay?"

"Did Killian have something to do with it?" Henry, as stubborn as he was, didn't yield. He wasn't satisfied with this explanation. "Is he your ex?"

"What? NO." Emma exclaimed, her voice dripping with indignation. "Just drop it, okay? Let it go."

"Okay. But, for what it's worth, I think you're too good for him. Besides, I like Mayor Mills better." He said simply, turning around to sit down with his game console again, marking the end of their conversation.

* * *

That night, Emma lied awake. She couldn't sleep and was tossing and turning for hours. She was thinking about Regina, and her feelings towards the woman. She was pondering about it; trying to figure out what to do. They would talk tomorrow, but what was she supposed to say? They had been enemies for quite some time. Could the tide turn so far? Was the line between love and hate that thin?

Technically, she didn't hate the woman anymore. If only, she cared more about Regina than she'd admit to her parents; or to herself. She didn't only care about her safety, but also about her feelings and her happiness. If she was honest to herself, she had to admit that she wanted nothing more than making Henry's other mother happy. But what if Henry would never gain his memories back?

Henry had practically blessed a possible relationship between the two women, but if they were to be involved, they wouldn't be able to move back to New York because of the curse, so Henry would lose the life he had built. And she couldn't go back to New York with Regina. Besides, Emma wasn't sure if Regina could ever live with the possibility that Henry might never know that Regina was his adoptive mother and had taken care of him the first ten years of his life, not Emma.

She reached for her smartphone to check what time it was, and she saw she had received a text-message.  _'Regina Mills.'_

Her heart started racing again at only reading the name of the subject of her thoughts. She clicked open the text and read the short message: ' _Are you still awake?_ ' _  
_

She eyed the current time and compared it to the time she received it. It had been sent a little over two hours and she wondered if Regina was the typical 'turn-off-your-cellphone-when-you're-asleep'er and if it wasn't impolite to send back a message at a late hour. After weighing up the pros and cons she decided she'd send a text back. ' _Yeah. You?'_

Already two minutes later her phone vibrated to indicate that she had responded to her late-night text. ' _Yes. I think I'm suffering from insomnia. Did Henry say anything?_ '

' _Me too. And nothing evil. ;)'_  Emma grinned to herself at the inside joke. Regina had made an inside joke that afternoon, which was something Emma utterly adored. It was a small thing that meant so much more to Emma than it seemed. Her phone buzzed again.

' _I assumed that._   _It sounds more like a thing I would do._ ' The blonde chuckled softly at the text, and started typing one of herself. ' _Anything in particular?'_

' _I could hook up with Robin Hood to make you jealous._ ' Emma bit her lip. They were treading on dangerous ground, and her hands were getting sweaty. She felt an uneasy feeling in her stomach. Was she jealous?

' _You can't do that. He smells like forest._ ' Emma responded what she considered casually enough. Only seconds later she received a ' _True that._ ', which made her chuckle out loud. The reaction was so out of character that it made her wonder if it really was the brunette at the other side of this conversation.

' _That's a very un-Regina thing to say._ ' She grinned when she hit 'Send'.

' _I like to try out something new every once in a while._ ' Emma felt like a schoolgirl again, texting her crush in the middle of the night; flirting a little. The next morning during class she'd steal quick glances from the person in question. Of course she had been young and stupid and most of the guys she flirted with had had the wrong intentions, but this time it felt right.

' _Does that include Robin Hood?_ ' She typed. She wondered if she sounded too cocky, but she sent it anyway. They were already break dancing on thin ice, and Emma had to admit to herself that she loved every minute of it.

' _Do I sense some jealousy, miss Swan?'_  A crooked smile played around her lips as she read the oldest version of her name used by the former Mayor. She had never really liked when people called her 'miss Swan', but the way Regina made it sound was pure vocal sex.

' _Do you want me to be jealous, Madam Mayor?'_  It wasn't the best response she could think of, but it was good enough for now. She didn't even know what she was trying to gain with this midnight text session, but somehow she kept typing new ones. She had gotten a taste of Regina Mills, and she was officially addicted. She wanted to try all of her flavors - figuratively speaking, but also literally speaking. That afternoon she had been so close to kissing the woman that she couldn't think of anything else anymore.

' _That depends._ ' The brunette texted back. Emma had her reaction ready in only seconds. ' _Need I remind you that you were the one prying into my love life only hours ago? ;)'_ She wasn't entirely sure if she should send it, because it would be like inviting the members of Riverdance on this already thin ice. From the other side, it was the ideal opportunity to bring up the subject again. They had agreed on talking about whatever happened between the two of them tomorrow, but Emma wasn't sure if she'd have the guts to do so.

Her thumb hovered over the 'Send' button for a few seconds more, but eventually she pushed it. Her heart was pounding in her throat; so fast she was almost afraid it would fail on her. Her hands had gotten so sweaty that her phone slithered through her fingers. She turned on her other side, drying off her hands on the sheets. Her phone vibrated again and her heart almost exploded at the sudden movement. ' _I hardly call that prying. Are you trying something new regarding your language?'_

 _'Does it suit me well?'_  Emma typed. Regina had waived the question in her own patented - and sassy - way, but Emma wanted answers; Emma needed answers. She opened a new text message. ' _Regina, we need to talk.'_  She was staring at the letters, considering just deleting them again. but somehow she found her thumb deciding for her.

Emma received a text in less than a minute, which astonished her. ' _I'm almost at Granny's. Five minutes.'_ Emma stared incredulously at her cellphone. Had she been already on her way to her? She hopped out of bed and quickly put on her slacks and shirt she had worn that day. The grabbed her red jacket and rushed outside, her heart still beating like a drum.

When she stepped outside, she felt the cold wind cutting her skin. Her eyes needed a second to get accustomed to the darkness, and it was only moments later that she saw Regina Mills silhouette at the other side of the street. She walked in her direction, trying to find the right words; trying to find a way to start a conversation. It was like she approached the woman in slow-motion. Her hands were buried deep inside the pockets of her coat, and her cheeks were red. Emma could tell she was cold, so she must have walked to the diner, instead of taken the car.

"Hey." She said softly as she came to a halt, only inches away from the other woman.

"Hey." Regina reacted, curling her lips in a careful smile, which made Emma feel at ease a little.

"You look like you're cold. Are you out for long?" Emma asked, not wanting for the other woman to be cold.

"I'm fine. Sometimes I go for a walk in the middle of the night to clear my mind." She explained, her voice still soft and husky. "And as you see, it didn't work."

"Yeah." Emma sighed awkwardly. A silence took over the conversation and for a few moments they only stared at each other, both sunken in thoughts. "Regina.. What are we doing? What is this?" Her words were lingering in the air, resounding in Regina's ears. What were they doing?

"I think.." Regina's lips refused to form new words, so she fell silent again. She sighed deeply and took one of her hands out of her pocket, reaching for the other woman's hand, which was warm and sweaty, but pleasant against her own far-too-cold skin. Her focus shifted to Emma's fingers, and she laced her own fingers between them, watching them fit perfectly together.

"I think, too, Regina." Emma whispered, watching the other woman playing with her fingers, which was in Emma's eyes adorable. She could look at the woman like this forever and in that moment she knew none of her concerns mattered anymore. They had been through far worse than memory loss, and with the knowledge that Rumpelstiltskin was still alive, they were almost positively sure Henry would regain his memories. "I think I've fallen for you."

Her heart was bloating in her chest, taking away her every breath. Brown latched onto green and Emma felt like she could drown in those brown pools that were filled with tears. "Emma.." She whispered softly, her voice almost breaking. "He doesn't remember me."

"Regina.." Emma slowly took a step closer to Regina, trying not to intimidate the woman in front of her. "He will. We will find a way. He's your son, too."

"If he doesn't ever remember me, you're moving back to New York." A few tears escaped her eyes and rolled down her cheek. Emma reached out her free hand to wipe them away, cupping her face; soft skin cold as ice. "I can't afford to get attached to you, and then having to let you go, along with Henry."

"Believe me, it won't be easy for me either, but what if he gets his memories back? We could be one family." For a brief moment she thought she saw hope in Regina's eyes; just a spark, but Emma could swear it was there. "We could be happy together, the three of us."

"And what if he doesn't want his evil mother to be with his hero mother?" Regina breathed, admitting one of her greatest fears out loud.

"You're not evil. Henry knows that now. He even said it last year." Emma wiped the brunette's concerns off the table. She didn't know why she was trying so hard, but somehow she couldn't stop herself from saying the words. "You deserve a happy ending. I don't know if I'm able to give you that, but we could try." She paused for a bit and then continued. "When I drank the memory potion, the first thing I remembered was Henry on my doorstep. The next thing was meeting you. Not my parents, not Hook, not Neal, you. I think that means something. I don't know what it exactly means, but it's important."

Regina gasped at the newly-discovered information. "You did?" She unconsciously pulled her hand, still entwined with the blonde's, against her chest, causing Emma to avert her gaze from Regina's eyes to her hand and back to her eyes again. "But Neal's your True Love. And what about Hook? You kissed him in Neverland. Your parents appear to approve of both of them, and I can't be sure if they'd be fond of their daughter being involved with the Evil Queen, former step mother of Snow White herself!"

"Why are you trying to bring up Hook and Neal again? You know I don't care about them. They both hurt me in ways.. I can't get involved with them. I thought I was clear." Emma snarled. Something within her had snapped at the mention of Hook and Neal and she just kept rattling. Her eyes softened when she saw the hurt painting Regina's face.

"Neal made me give birth in prison. Hook is in no way any better than Neal. They're both selfish. It's all about them. I'm exposing myself to you, giving more than I've given anyone ever before, and you keep trying to push me away. Why can't you just give in, lose control? Why can't-"

"Because I'm scared." Regina cut the rambling blonde effectively off. Only a slight second she lost control and said the one thing she didn't want to say, because it made her sound weak in her own eyes. "There, you have it.. The Evil Queen, feared by many, is scared." She was still clutching Emma's hand against her chest, vaguely aware of the fact that she'd probably be able to feel her heart pounding as she went on:

"I believed for a very long time that I wasn't capable of love anymore.. Until I adopted Henry. He's the best thing that has happened to me. Even when he hated me. When you arrived in Storybrooke.." Her brain faltered to spill new words, but when Emma gave her hand a gentle squeeze, she continued, her voice still a whisper, only audible by Emma.

"You pushed my buttons like no one else had done in twenty-eight years. That, of course, because of my own doing; the curse. I was afraid I was going to lose Henry to you. I saw you as the enemy, so my son saw me as the enemy. I was threatened to lose the one thing I loved. Clouded by that threat, I made the wrong decisions, pushing away my son for good, I thought." She cleared her throat, trying to stay in control of her emotions, but somehow the blonde had managed to get her guards down.

"The only solution to win his heart back was to change; to redeem myself and make up for the crimes I'd committed. I don't regret them, because if it weren't for my actions, and especially the curse, I wouldn't have adopted Henry, and eventually.. Met you. In the end, you and Henry were the main reason I changed, whether I wanted it or not. I did, and now I'm here, in front of you, confessing all of this in order to compensate for my behavior minutes ago." When Regina was done talking, she watched the blonde processing the words she had just spoken.

"Thank you for telling me this." Emma started, her voice almost as hoarse as Regina's. She was on the verge of tears, trying to contain herself. "I know that must have been hard for you, throwing yourself out in the open. And I really appreciate that." She pulled Regina a little closer, their faces only inches away from each other. "I'm so proud of you."

Regina was burning from the inside, the heat had spread through her whole body; promptly forgetting about the cold that had consumed her only minutes ago. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she felt a tug in her abdomen. Everything around her didn't matter; her eyes were alternating between Emma's eyes and lips. Her world was revolving around the blonde in that moment.

For the second time that day they were so close together that they were breathing each other's breaths, but for the first time they closed the gap that marked the difference between knowing and not knowing: was it really what they wanted? Was it really what they hoped it would be?

Eyes fluttered closed and the moment their lips connected, hearts exploded. They completely succumbed to the kiss, trying to make it last as long as possible; drawing out the excitement it brought them. The brunette ran her free hand up the blonde's arm, snaking it around her neck and tangling her fingers in strands of golden locks; her other hand still entangled with Emma's, clutched to her chest.

When breathing became a necessity, they parted, eyes meeting in a loving gaze. Slightly out of breath, Emma whispered to Regina what she had been wanting to say for a while. "You are so beautiful.." She breathed. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to rebel against someone as attractive as you? To have fights when you actually just want to devour that person right on the spot?"

"I actually do have an idea. I have a clear picture in my mind of a certain Sheriff with a preference for white tank tops, red leather jackets and jeans that show off how perfectly toned her legs and ass are." She smiled softly. "And then I haven't even spoken a word about her personality."

"Hmm, is the Mayor going all complimentary?" Emma chuckled.

"Don't flatter yourself." Regina said, but she couldn't contain a smirk. This woman did things to her nobody else could do; made her feel things nobody else could make her feel. It scared her in ways she'd never been scared before, and she both loved and feared it. She knew that with Emma by her side, she'd manage to make it through it all, this territory; brand new and unexplored.

_"Do you think we just broke a curse?"_


End file.
